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Stratospheric Injection of Brominated Very Short‐Lived Substances: Aircraft Observations in the Western Pacific and Representation in Global Models
Author(s) -
Wales Pamela A.,
Salawitch Ross J.,
Nicely Julie M.,
Anderson Daniel C.,
Canty Timothy P.,
Baidar Sunil,
Dix Barbara,
Koenig Theodore K.,
Volkamer Rainer,
Chen Dexian,
Huey L. Gregory,
Tanner David J.,
Cuevas Carlos A.,
Fernandez Rafael P.,
Kinnison Douglas E.,
Lamarque JeanFrancois,
SaizLopez Alfonso,
Atlas Elliot L.,
Hall Samuel R.,
Navarro Maria A.,
Pan Laura L.,
Schauffler Sue M.,
Stell Meghan,
Tilmes Simone,
Ullmann Kirk,
Weinheimer Andrew J.,
Akiyoshi Hideharu,
Chipperfield Martyn P.,
Deushi Makoto,
Dhomse Sandip S.,
Feng Wuhu,
Graf Phoebe,
Hossaini Ryan,
Jöckel Patrick,
Mancini Eva,
Michou Martine,
Morgenstern Olaf,
Oman Luke D.,
Pitari Giovanni,
Plummer David A.,
Revell Laura E.,
Rozanov Eugene,
SaintMartin David,
Schofield Robyn,
Stenke Andrea,
Stone Kane A.,
Visioni Daniele,
Yamashita Yousuke,
Zeng Guang
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8996
pISSN - 2169-897X
DOI - 10.1029/2017jd027978
Subject(s) - bromine , stratosphere , atmospheric sciences , climatology , box model , ozone , tropopause , environmental science , meteorology , chemistry , geography , physics , geology , organic chemistry
We quantify the stratospheric injection of brominated very short‐lived substances (VSLS) based on aircraft observations acquired in winter 2014 above the Tropical Western Pacific during the CONvective TRansport of Active Species in the Tropics (CONTRAST) and the Airborne Tropical TRopopause EXperiment (ATTREX) campaigns. The overall contribution of VSLS to stratospheric bromine was determined to be 5.0 ± 2.1 ppt, in agreement with the 5 ± 3 ppt estimate provided in the 2014 World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Ozone Assessment report (WMO 2014), but with lower uncertainty. Measurements of organic bromine compounds, including VSLS, were analyzed using CFC‐11 as a reference stratospheric tracer. From this analysis, 2.9 ± 0.6 ppt of bromine enters the stratosphere via organic source gas injection of VSLS. This value is two times the mean bromine content of VSLS measured at the tropical tropopause, for regions outside of the Tropical Western Pacific, summarized in WMO 2014. A photochemical box model, constrained to CONTRAST observations, was used to estimate inorganic bromine from measurements of BrO collected by two instruments. The analysis indicates that 2.1 ± 2.1 ppt of bromine enters the stratosphere via inorganic product gas injection. We also examine the representation of brominated VSLS within 14 global models that participated in the Chemistry‐Climate Model Initiative. The representation of stratospheric bromine in these models generally lies within the range of our empirical estimate. Models that include explicit representations of VSLS compare better with bromine observations in the lower stratosphere than models that utilize longer‐lived chemicals as a surrogate for VSLS.